Hezbollah leader names US ‘the Great Satan’ during speech as he vows to avenge death of Iranian general Qassem Solemani
THE leader of militant group Hezbollah has branded America "the Great Satan" and vowed to avenge Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
Head of the Lebanese Islamist group Hassan Nasrallah made the chilling vow in a speech today as he vowed to strike back at the US.
The Lebanese secretary-general even cited The Washington Post's criticism of Donald Trump and called the president "the biggest liar in America's history".
It comes a week after he warned all US bases, all warships and every single soldier in the region is now a target.
The last known images of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani before he was blown up in a US drone strike show him hugging and praying with Nasrallah in Beirut.
He said today: "America, the Great Satan, is responsible for Israel and all its crimes against the Palestinian people.
"America built ISIS to destroy our countries, our cultures, history, and our future.
"Every ISIS bombing against a mosque or church, it must be called 'Made in USA'.
"We must never forget this, that America is our true enemy.'
He also said: "I direct people to look at the Washington Post caricature on the missile strike."
He added: "The American leadership said in days after Soleimani's death the world was a safer place. They will discover in blood that they were wrong.
"The Americans should get their army out of our region—and the alternative to them leaving vertically is leaving horizontally."
It came on the same day an air base in in Iraq housing US troops was bombarded by mortars leaving four people injured.
Seven mortar bombs fell inside Iraq's Balad air base and four Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the attack just days after Iran launched missiles at two other military bases in revenge for the death of General Qasem Soleimani.
'AMERICA IS OUR TRUE ENEMY'
Two military sources said today's mortar bombs fell in the runway inside the base, which is located 50 miles north of Baghdad.
The surprise attack last week was aimed at the Al Asad and Erbil air bases in retaliation for the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
Donald Trump said no Americans were harmed in the missile attacks on military bases in Iraq.
The President’s assertion came in the wake of the Iranian state TV claiming 80 "American terrorists" were killed in the strikes.
Iran then bragged it had given America a "slap in the face" following the attacks on US military sites in Iraq, with at least 15 missiles.
But speaking at the White House the President said: "No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties.
"The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it.
"We do not want to use it. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent.”
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Trump also appeared to signal that he wanted to de-escalate tensions with Iran.
Iran's state TV boasted the operation was named 'Martyr Soleimani' and was carried out in memory of the Revolutionary Guard leader killed last week in a US drone strike.
Following the attack last week, a Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737 crashed just a few miles from Tehran's main airport, killing all 176 people on board and sparking fears it had been shot down.
